Violin



(No Model.)

J. D. LOPPENTIEN.

VIOLIN. 110.406.750. Patented July 9, 1889.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIAN D. LOPPENTIEN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

VIOLIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,750, dated July 9,1889.

Application filed July 7, 1888. Renewed June '7, 1889. Serial No.313,510. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHAN D. LOPPENTIEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny,in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Violins, of which the following is a specification.

My present invent-ion relates to that class of musical instruments whichare played with a bow such as the violin, Violoncello, and the like; andit consists in the details of construction and combination substantiallyas illustrated in the drawings hereinafter described, and subsequentlypointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 is a transverse section of aviolin, taken near the middle, withmy invention attached. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a violin'with the frontremoved.

The center bar of the instrument is designated by a, and 0 0 indicatethe ribs thereof. 6 designates the bridge, and It the sides of theinstrument. One end of the short lever 19 is let into a mortise in thecentral bar a, slightly behind but nearly under the bridge 6. Thesounding-post (1 stands with one end upon the other end of the lever b,and the other end of the sounding-post rests against the inside f of thefront of the instrument. Under this lover 1), near its middle, is a postor bridge 0. One end of this post 0 rests against the lever b and theother against the inside of the backe' of the instrument. Except thatthe center bar a is set a little to one side, and while extending fromthe neck to the string-block does not touch either the front or back ofthe instrument, this violin is constructed in the usual and Well-knownway.

Sometimes in using a violin it is desirable, for the purpose of varyingthe tone, to increase the tension of the wood of the front and sometimesthat of the back. If the post 0 be slipped toward the sounding-post d,on account of the conformation of the back 'i the tension ofthe frontfwill be increased by reason of the increased pressure of thesounding-post cl upon it, by means of which the tone of the instrumentmay be varied in one way. The fulcrum of the lever b is in the bar a,and if the post 0 be slipped away from the sounding-post (l toward thebar a the weight of the pressure will be removed from the front to theback of the instrument, increasing the tension of the back, partlybecause of the form of the back and partly because the post 0,approaching nearer to the fulcrum of the lever 17, exerts greaterpressure. Thus the tension may be removed from the front to the back orfrom the back to the front at pleasure, and thereby the tone of theinstrument be varied as circumstances or fancy may require.

This violin is played with a bow in the usual and well-known way.

It is evident that this invention may be applied to violoncellos an dall other instruments of like construction.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire t secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination, with the violin f 71, i and the center bar a thereof,of the lever I), resting with one end in a mortise in said bar a, a soundin g-post d, standing between the other end of said lever Z) and thefront f of said instrument, and the post 0, standing between the middleof said lever Z) and the back of said instrument, all substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

in presence of two witnesses.

J. D. LOPPENTIEN.

lVitnesses:

J OHN R. BAUM, \VILLIAM J. SIMPSON.

